Calvin Klein does not approve. Lloyd Webber, on the other hand, is creaming his panties.
Obsession by Swirk.
Summary: When Lexi finds she likes the Phantom of the Opera play, her world is turned upside down when she finds that the Phantom has returned the favor.
...there are just so many ways to go with this. Bolding mine, clearly.
First!person Sue! So, like, it's totally fictional and about another person only not.
I had never really liked Phantom of the Opera. In fact, I really didn't even bother listening to the music or asking about a plot. I knew it was about some dude in half of a mask, so what? So in all my years of Drama and Singing, mmm caps never once had I given Phantom a thought. That is, until I signed up for Drama Camp during the summer. Everything happens at summer camp. Erik loves hanging out at the kiddie summer camps. It's where the good sex songs can be found.
It was like all my other Drama Camps. We walked in to the basement, sat in a circle, learned everyone's names, and then got to work. I had taken Drama Camp here for two years, so I thought it would be nothing new. My friend Cady was even there from last year's camp. She had brought another friend though, and besides, we weren't that close. So we did some stuff. But it wasn't important. And there was my friend. But I don't really like her.
It was during break that I had first heard it. We had been mostly just playing games, joking around and stuff. I was alone, sitting in one of the chairs scattered about the room. OMG SO SPESHUL. One of our teachers, Miss Montmarte, ooooh European! put in the Phantom CD and pressed play. I paid no attention, thinking only of CATS, my current favorite musical. Oh please...you're a Cats fan and you never heard ANYTHING about Phantom beyond the mask? Suddenly, the melancholy histrionic organ notes of the Overture spun through the air, weaving around me, filling the room with the tune. It entranced me, and scared me, all at the same time. Kind of like Satan. I had never really liked organs, they just were always quite creepy to me. Church...yeah, them be spooky thangs. But not this one. This one was magical, and enticing, and I loved it. I wanted to hump it.
I guess had gotten lost in the music, because next thing I knew Eliza was prying me off the stereo because I was humping it. I had completely attached myself to the right speaker, the music blaring in my ears hoo-hoo.
"C'mon Lexi, it's time to get started on the show," Eliza said, beckoning me over to the circle of chairs where everyone else was. I nodded and walked over, sitting down next to Cady. Miss Montmarte walked up to the stereo and switched it off. I was slightly disappointed, but my attention quickly turned to Eliza and Miss Montmarte.
"Now, let's start off with a plot." Several people raised their hands, including me. Eliza called my name.
"Uh, well, we could do a few girls at a sleepover, and then all these musical numbers come in, and, yeah.." I trailed off. A murmur off agreement rippled through the circle. The other hands lowered. "That's...just so...wow, I can't think of anything to top the inanity of that idea." "Wouldn't a kareoke party be more logical, then--?" asked Susan. "No, no, let's stick with sleepover. Things happen at night while everyone else sleeps. Magical, magical things!" "...like dreams?" queried Susan. "NO, LIKE MAGIC." And then we beat her head in with an iron bar.
"So what you're saying is that these girls are a having a sleepover, but it gets interrupted by several musical numbers," Miss Montmarte, with her monotonous voice, repeated what I had said. I nodded silently. "Does everyone agree with that idea?" Everyone nodded, and a few 'yeahs' and 'sures' blurted. Susan opened her mouth to offer sense, but promptly got shot in the face. Eliza scribbled it down on her notepad, then turned to us again.
"Okay, now we have to decide on the songs we have to do level of copyright infringement we're going to embark on. Let's start off with popular musicals, and then we'll name the two most popular songs from those musicals."
That part took a while, but we finally came to nine musicals: Phantom of the Opera(to Cady's delight), Sound of Music(that was sure to get my mom excited), Annie, Wicked, Grease, CATS(by my request of course), The Lion King, Hairspray, and the Wizard of Oz(To my disgust). Those who can't space out their ellipses don't get to knock Judy fucking Garland just because her musical brooks no crazy monkey sex (even though I'm fully aware that I just rule 34'd that shit). Next came the songs. Miss Montmarte spoke up.
"Well, for Phantom of the Opera, of course the Phantom of the Opera and..." I didn't bother speaking up, I knew nothing of the musical. There was no pillow-talk. Just humping.
"Think of Me," Cady piped up. "Wouldn't Masquerade invite a more chorus-based approach and give equal opportunities to all involved in terms of prominent singing roles--" Susan was promptly smothered by the would-be soloists. "Spotlight miiiiine!" they wheezed. Vanityzombies. They don't want your brains, they want your solos. Eliza nodded, then scribbled the names down. "Alright next is Sound of Music." Miss Montmarte instantly spoke up. "Sound of Music and Do Re Mi." She must have really liked that musical. I could tell her and my mom were going to get along just fine.
"Annie."
"Tomorrow and Hard Knock Life!" I piped up. I had just done the musical in school, starred, in fact; so I knew everything about it. Or at least the two most famous songs.
"Wicked." That one I didn't know. I left it to the others. It was quiet for a while before Alli spoke up.
"Uh, Popular?" Cady said the next one, "Defying Gravity." Eliza wrote them down.
"Grease." Everyone looked nervously at each other. Obviously they were more into more recent musicals. I rolled my eyes,
"We Go Together and Summer Nights." Eliza looked to Miss Montmarte, who nodded in reply. She wrote them down. "RECENT?" blurted Susan. "What about Golden Age Hollywood musicals? Streisand? Yentl? Seven Brides for Seven Brothers? Zeigfield Fuckin' Follies?"
Everyone else blinked their big dumb eyes like chibi Emmy Rossum clones. Then they tore out Susan's throat with their teeth.
"CATS?" Everyone looked to me.
"Mr. Mistoffelees and Memory," I said matter-of-fact. It was quiet for a while. "How about we just leave Memory and give you that solo," Miss Montmarte said as Eliza scribbled it down. Mr. Mistoffelees is too much of an ensemble piece and wastes time that could be spent just glorifying you. I was shocked. Memory was a big song, and though I had tried many times, I didn't think I could sing it. I tried to reject, but the words never came out. I simply nodded. See, modesty only counts if other people can SEE it.
"For the Lion King we'll just leave Hakuna Matata, That's the most popular song." Miss Montmarte said. A few people looked disappointed, but then their cheerful expressions returned. "What about the Circle of Life?" Susan learned there was a Circle of Death, too.
"Hairspray?" Miss Montmarte didn't seem familiar with the musical. I was a little astonished, but then quickly said the two songs. Because SOMEONE has to educate the teacher.
"You Can't Stop the Beat and Good Morning Baltimore." Miss Montmarte looked to Eliza, who nodded and wrote the names down.
"The Wizard of Oz," Everyone look disgusted and were silent. Only one girl, Darien, seemed excited. Susan went and sat beside her.
"Somewhere Over the Rainbow!" A few people groaned quietly, but Eliza still wrote it down.
"Now that we have our songs, we have to have solo auditions. Though LexiSue has her solo already just because no one else cares about her kittycat shit and Erik will coach her in that until she's "ready". That'll be tomorrow, so you can prepare tonight." Miss Montmarte looked over the list. "A few songs will have to be cut for our show, unfortunately." She took a pen and crossed out a few things. Like Darien's hopes. "Who would like to audition for the Phantom of the Opera?" About five girls, including Cady and her friend Melody, raised their hands. Miss Montmarte wrote the names down, then came to the next song. It went on for the rest of the day like that, and though I already had the solo for Memory, I also was auditioning for Popular. My friend had shown me a YouTube video of it a while back, so I sort of new the song. Because Youtube is the authority. At the end of the day, I waved by to Cady and Melody, then hopped in my mom's car.
"So did you have a fun time?" She asked. I nodded.
"Yeah, one of the girls from camp last year, Cady, she's here,"
"Oh really? Who is she?"
"Um, I don't think you'd recognize her. She's changed a bit."
"Oh, okay. Did you get any solos?"
"Uh, yeah, actually. I'm uh, I'm singing Memory." My mom turned, a bewildered expression on her face.
"Really? You're getting to do CATS?" I smiled.
"Yeah. Auditions are tomorrow," while driving, my mom gave me a one-armed hug. Thumbs up for War Amps! ^__^
"I'm so proud of you honey!" I shrugged her off.
"No big," PUNCTUATION.
That night I went on iTunes, listening to the Phantom of the Opera over and over again. I finally built up the courage to buy the entire soundtrack. I had a lot of gift card money left on my account, so I thought, why not? Plugging my iPod in, I listened to the music while it synced. I looked up the lyrics online and began singing along with it, my finger mimicking the organ. *fap*fap*fap*
"In sleep he sang to me,
In dreams he came,
That voice which calls to me and speaks my name
And do I dream again? For now I find,
The Phantom of the Opera is there, inside my mind."
I laughed. My mezzo voice sounded like a croaky frog next to Sarah Brightman's beautiful soprano. >_< Oh...oh honey... I was happy that Sarah was on here. I knew her for being the first Jemima in CATS. I didn't know she was the first Christine too! Oh my Gaaaaawd I'm just, like, SO un-EDUCATED about the canon I'm setting myself up to rape! LOL. Once my iPod was done syncing, I turned the computer off and rushed downstairs, iPod in hand. I began listening to it, keeping quiet so I wouldn't disturb anyone.
"Uh, Lexi, shouldn't you be practicing your solo?" I nodded and turned to Memory on my playlist. I began singing along, because that's the way you do it.
"Memory
Turn your face to the Moonlight
Let your Memory leave you
Open up, enter in
If you find there the meaning of what happiness is,
Then the new life will begin" ...That's not...uh...Jemima sings that bit, but...for the actual song...
*goes to sit with Susan.*
My mom applauded me as I turned my iPod off and set it on the table. I smiled. I was SO ready to kick that audition's ass.
"Thanks mom. Uh, I'm going to turn in for the night, 'kay?"
"Sure," I walked upstairs and changed into my Annie t-shirt and sweatpants. I looked into the mirror to tie my hair up, and I had a strange feeling that someone was watching me. The Truman Fic. I looked out the windows, in all the hiding places around. No one. I laughed to myself. "Maybe it's the Phantom of the Opera!" LOL coincidence that you're just thinking what's totally happening. I laughed some more, then climbed into my bed, murmuring the lyrics. ...go to SLEEP. As I feel asleep, I heard a musical voice, almost in a whisper.
"The Phantom of the Opera is there, inside your mind..."
"Brush your teeth."
The next day, I was very jubilant. I continued to practice my solo, and by the time I arrived at the theater, I could hit every note perfectly. PERFECTLY, YOU HEAR ME? I waved goodbye to my mom and quickly ran down the stairs to the theater.
Everyone was already there, playing a game. I decided to sit further away, waiting until the game was over being Too Good For Them. Eliza was the first to see me.
"Hey Lexi! Don't worry, we're almost done!" She called out in her cheerful voice. I smiled in response, looking over my lyrics one last time. I already knew them by heart, but I was so nervous I worried about forgetting them.
Like Eliza said, the game was finished in no time. We pulled up our chairs in a circle once more and continued to vent ideas for our production, Eliza supervising us. At the same time, Miss Montmarte was at the front of the room, running auditions with her piano. She called the Phantom of the Opera people first. As hard as I tried, I couldn't get my mind away from the notes of the song as the others and I wrote the script. Though the piano didn't sound as beautiful as the organ, it was entrancing all the same. I heaved a sigh. Next to me, Alex spoke up.
"Uh, Lexi? Do you mind coming back to earth?" I came out of my trance.
"What? Oh, yeah, uh, where were we?" Darien rolled her eyes. Darien! Come sit with me and Susan! We're doing our own show where we get rights to things or actually compose original material with a coherant and engaging storyline and varied cast of characters!
"We're trying to write the dialogue in between the Sound of Music and Hard-Knock Life." ...yeah, trying to connect those two can't be easy.
"Uh, yeah, I knew that. What if we um, have Johnny walk in and say, 'Turn down the music Danielle! Why are all these girls in here?' And he could be referring to the orphans." So it's an orphan sleepover. At...someone's parent's house. God, none of these kids even drives yet.
Eliza nodded. "I think that's good." I nodded and scribbled the line down on the notepad. Only then did I notice that the auditions for Phantom of the Opera had stopped. The piano was silent. I frowned a bit, then continued writing.
For lunch we went to the park near the theater. Cady, Melody, and I were sitting together. I was excitedly telling them of my new found likeness of the Phantom of the Opera.
"Yeah, I bought the soundtrack on iTunes."
"You can afford that?" Melody asked. She was a huge 'Phan,' and obviously had checked the prices before.
"I'm really cheap on iTunes. It took me forever to convince myself to buy it. Plus, since I'm so cheap, I had a lot of gift card money stored up." Cheap. Cheap. Totally cheap. Except when it comes to OMGPHANTOMSPLURGE.
"Awesome. So can you sing it? Like, hit the high notes and stuff?" HAHAHA YARIGHT.
I grinned, shaking my head. "No, I sounded like a toad." We all laughed.
"Well, maybe the Angel of Music will visit you in sleep and help you! I am SO fourteen, you guys!" Cady teased. I laughed, then paused. I remembered the strange feeling I had last night.
"Now that you mention it, I had this feeling last night that, that someone was there. I looked everywhere, but no one. Maybe..." I became silent. Cady laughed.
"Come on Lexi, I was just kidding!" I shook the thought, laughing.
"Yeah, I know, just kidding!" HAHAHA NERVOUS LAUGHTER. We all laughed, sharing thoughts on the Phantom of the Opera. Melody promised to lend me her DVD of Phantom, and I told her I'd burn a CD with my Phantom songs so she could have them. And then Gerard Butler was certain to pop out of her suburban America wall and feel her up in her Annie-jammies.
That night I had a hard time sleeping. It was about 2 AM, so I decided to do some singing just to wake the rest of the household in the way most likely to drive them to homicide. I had nailed my audition perfectly, but I wasn't even close on Popular. I decided to take a crack at Phantom again. I plugged in my headphones, turning to Think of Me. I began singing, and strangely, I hit every note perfectly. WEIRD that I am just so perfect, amirite?
'Think of Me,
Think of me fondly
When we've said goodbye
Remember me
Once in a while
Please promise me you'll try
When you find
That once again you long
To take your heart back and be free
If you ever find a moment
Spare a thought for me
We never said our love was evergreen
Or as unchanging as the sea
But if you can still remember
Stop and think of me
Think of all the things we should've seen
Don't think about the way things might have been
Think of me
Think of me waking silent and resigned
Imagine me trying to hard to put you from my mind
Recall those days, think back on all those times
Think of the things we'll never do
There will never be a day when I won't think of you'
As the Raoul part came, began to sense a presence again. Not just any presence, his presence. RAOUL? The Phantom's presence. I looked into the darkness. Nothing. I picked my part up again. Aw shit.
'Flowers fade,
The fruits of summer fade
They have their seasons so do we
But please promise me that sometimes
You will think...'
I hit every note perfectly. I was astonished. Yesterday, I sounded like a frog. Tonight, I sounded like, well, an Angel. Gerik was totally massaging your throat with his magic fingers while you slept and imbued you with the power of, uh...well...nothing, if you're thinking Rossum-style. As I came to the next song, I heard the musical voice again. YOUR IPOD =/= VOICES IN YOUR HEAD.
'Brava, brava, bravissimo!' I looked around, fearful. It must be the angel of music, I thought. I sang, trying to summon him.
'Angel of Music
Speak, I listen
Stay by my side, guide me
Angel, my soul was weak, forgive me
Enter at last master'
The musical voice replied, full volume.
'Flattering child you shan't know me
Deep in the shadows I hide
Look at your face in the mirror
I am there inside
I leaped out of bed, running to my mirror. I saw nothing but my own reflection. I laughed to myself. "It's just my iPod," PSYCHO. I walked back to my bed, picking up my iPod. The song was paused at Think of Me. "How strange...I hallucinated full orchestral accompaniment, too." I looked around, but there was nothing. I climbed back in bed, attempting to go to sleep once more. The voice began to sing again, lulling me to sleep.
'Turn your face away from the garish light of day
Turn your thoughts away from cold unfeeling light
And listen to the Music of the Night.'
I looked at my iPod. It was turned off. My eyelids fluttered shut, against my will. Before I could have another thought, I was fast asleep.
It's late, and I can't do no more. Maybe tomorrow. Just...gaaah. Susan, Darien, to the Batcave of Logic! We shall stockpile our resources and so avoid being touched by the plague taking over your summer camp.
Summary: When Lexi finds she likes the Phantom of the Opera play, her world is turned upside down when she finds that the Phantom has returned the favor.
...there are just so many ways to go with this. Bolding mine, clearly.
First!person Sue! So, like, it's totally fictional and about another person only not.
I had never really liked Phantom of the Opera. In fact, I really didn't even bother listening to the music or asking about a plot. I knew it was about some dude in half of a mask, so what? So in all my years of Drama and Singing, mmm caps never once had I given Phantom a thought. That is, until I signed up for Drama Camp during the summer. Everything happens at summer camp. Erik loves hanging out at the kiddie summer camps. It's where the good sex songs can be found.
It was like all my other Drama Camps. We walked in to the basement, sat in a circle, learned everyone's names, and then got to work. I had taken Drama Camp here for two years, so I thought it would be nothing new. My friend Cady was even there from last year's camp. She had brought another friend though, and besides, we weren't that close. So we did some stuff. But it wasn't important. And there was my friend. But I don't really like her.
It was during break that I had first heard it. We had been mostly just playing games, joking around and stuff. I was alone, sitting in one of the chairs scattered about the room. OMG SO SPESHUL. One of our teachers, Miss Montmarte, ooooh European! put in the Phantom CD and pressed play. I paid no attention, thinking only of CATS, my current favorite musical. Oh please...you're a Cats fan and you never heard ANYTHING about Phantom beyond the mask? Suddenly, the melancholy histrionic organ notes of the Overture spun through the air, weaving around me, filling the room with the tune. It entranced me, and scared me, all at the same time. Kind of like Satan. I had never really liked organs, they just were always quite creepy to me. Church...yeah, them be spooky thangs. But not this one. This one was magical, and enticing, and I loved it. I wanted to hump it.
I guess had gotten lost in the music, because next thing I knew Eliza was prying me off the stereo because I was humping it. I had completely attached myself to the right speaker, the music blaring in my ears hoo-hoo.
"C'mon Lexi, it's time to get started on the show," Eliza said, beckoning me over to the circle of chairs where everyone else was. I nodded and walked over, sitting down next to Cady. Miss Montmarte walked up to the stereo and switched it off. I was slightly disappointed, but my attention quickly turned to Eliza and Miss Montmarte.
"Now, let's start off with a plot." Several people raised their hands, including me. Eliza called my name.
"Uh, well, we could do a few girls at a sleepover, and then all these musical numbers come in, and, yeah.." I trailed off. A murmur off agreement rippled through the circle. The other hands lowered. "That's...just so...wow, I can't think of anything to top the inanity of that idea." "Wouldn't a kareoke party be more logical, then--?" asked Susan. "No, no, let's stick with sleepover. Things happen at night while everyone else sleeps. Magical, magical things!" "...like dreams?" queried Susan. "NO, LIKE MAGIC." And then we beat her head in with an iron bar.
"So what you're saying is that these girls are a having a sleepover, but it gets interrupted by several musical numbers," Miss Montmarte, with her monotonous voice, repeated what I had said. I nodded silently. "Does everyone agree with that idea?" Everyone nodded, and a few 'yeahs' and 'sures' blurted. Susan opened her mouth to offer sense, but promptly got shot in the face. Eliza scribbled it down on her notepad, then turned to us again.
"Okay, now we have to decide on the songs we have to do level of copyright infringement we're going to embark on. Let's start off with popular musicals, and then we'll name the two most popular songs from those musicals."
That part took a while, but we finally came to nine musicals: Phantom of the Opera(to Cady's delight), Sound of Music(that was sure to get my mom excited), Annie, Wicked, Grease, CATS(by my request of course), The Lion King, Hairspray, and the Wizard of Oz(To my disgust). Those who can't space out their ellipses don't get to knock Judy fucking Garland just because her musical brooks no crazy monkey sex (even though I'm fully aware that I just rule 34'd that shit). Next came the songs. Miss Montmarte spoke up.
"Well, for Phantom of the Opera, of course the Phantom of the Opera and..." I didn't bother speaking up, I knew nothing of the musical. There was no pillow-talk. Just humping.
"Think of Me," Cady piped up. "Wouldn't Masquerade invite a more chorus-based approach and give equal opportunities to all involved in terms of prominent singing roles--" Susan was promptly smothered by the would-be soloists. "Spotlight miiiiine!" they wheezed. Vanityzombies. They don't want your brains, they want your solos. Eliza nodded, then scribbled the names down. "Alright next is Sound of Music." Miss Montmarte instantly spoke up. "Sound of Music and Do Re Mi." She must have really liked that musical. I could tell her and my mom were going to get along just fine.
"Annie."
"Tomorrow and Hard Knock Life!" I piped up. I had just done the musical in school, starred, in fact; so I knew everything about it. Or at least the two most famous songs.
"Wicked." That one I didn't know. I left it to the others. It was quiet for a while before Alli spoke up.
"Uh, Popular?" Cady said the next one, "Defying Gravity." Eliza wrote them down.
"Grease." Everyone looked nervously at each other. Obviously they were more into more recent musicals. I rolled my eyes,
"We Go Together and Summer Nights." Eliza looked to Miss Montmarte, who nodded in reply. She wrote them down. "RECENT?" blurted Susan. "What about Golden Age Hollywood musicals? Streisand? Yentl? Seven Brides for Seven Brothers? Zeigfield Fuckin' Follies?"
Everyone else blinked their big dumb eyes like chibi Emmy Rossum clones. Then they tore out Susan's throat with their teeth.
"CATS?" Everyone looked to me.
"Mr. Mistoffelees and Memory," I said matter-of-fact. It was quiet for a while. "How about we just leave Memory and give you that solo," Miss Montmarte said as Eliza scribbled it down. Mr. Mistoffelees is too much of an ensemble piece and wastes time that could be spent just glorifying you. I was shocked. Memory was a big song, and though I had tried many times, I didn't think I could sing it. I tried to reject, but the words never came out. I simply nodded. See, modesty only counts if other people can SEE it.
"For the Lion King we'll just leave Hakuna Matata, That's the most popular song." Miss Montmarte said. A few people looked disappointed, but then their cheerful expressions returned. "What about the Circle of Life?" Susan learned there was a Circle of Death, too.
"Hairspray?" Miss Montmarte didn't seem familiar with the musical. I was a little astonished, but then quickly said the two songs. Because SOMEONE has to educate the teacher.
"You Can't Stop the Beat and Good Morning Baltimore." Miss Montmarte looked to Eliza, who nodded and wrote the names down.
"The Wizard of Oz," Everyone look disgusted and were silent. Only one girl, Darien, seemed excited. Susan went and sat beside her.
"Somewhere Over the Rainbow!" A few people groaned quietly, but Eliza still wrote it down.
"Now that we have our songs, we have to have solo auditions. Though LexiSue has her solo already just because no one else cares about her kittycat shit and Erik will coach her in that until she's "ready". That'll be tomorrow, so you can prepare tonight." Miss Montmarte looked over the list. "A few songs will have to be cut for our show, unfortunately." She took a pen and crossed out a few things. Like Darien's hopes. "Who would like to audition for the Phantom of the Opera?" About five girls, including Cady and her friend Melody, raised their hands. Miss Montmarte wrote the names down, then came to the next song. It went on for the rest of the day like that, and though I already had the solo for Memory, I also was auditioning for Popular. My friend had shown me a YouTube video of it a while back, so I sort of new the song. Because Youtube is the authority. At the end of the day, I waved by to Cady and Melody, then hopped in my mom's car.
"So did you have a fun time?" She asked. I nodded.
"Yeah, one of the girls from camp last year, Cady, she's here,"
"Oh really? Who is she?"
"Um, I don't think you'd recognize her. She's changed a bit."
"Oh, okay. Did you get any solos?"
"Uh, yeah, actually. I'm uh, I'm singing Memory." My mom turned, a bewildered expression on her face.
"Really? You're getting to do CATS?" I smiled.
"Yeah. Auditions are tomorrow," while driving, my mom gave me a one-armed hug. Thumbs up for War Amps! ^__^
"I'm so proud of you honey!" I shrugged her off.
"No big," PUNCTUATION.
That night I went on iTunes, listening to the Phantom of the Opera over and over again. I finally built up the courage to buy the entire soundtrack. I had a lot of gift card money left on my account, so I thought, why not? Plugging my iPod in, I listened to the music while it synced. I looked up the lyrics online and began singing along with it, my finger mimicking the organ. *fap*fap*fap*
"In sleep he sang to me,
In dreams he came,
That voice which calls to me and speaks my name
And do I dream again? For now I find,
The Phantom of the Opera is there, inside my mind."
I laughed. My mezzo voice sounded like a croaky frog next to Sarah Brightman's beautiful soprano. >_< Oh...oh honey... I was happy that Sarah was on here. I knew her for being the first Jemima in CATS. I didn't know she was the first Christine too! Oh my Gaaaaawd I'm just, like, SO un-EDUCATED about the canon I'm setting myself up to rape! LOL. Once my iPod was done syncing, I turned the computer off and rushed downstairs, iPod in hand. I began listening to it, keeping quiet so I wouldn't disturb anyone.
"Uh, Lexi, shouldn't you be practicing your solo?" I nodded and turned to Memory on my playlist. I began singing along, because that's the way you do it.
"Memory
Turn your face to the Moonlight
Let your Memory leave you
Open up, enter in
If you find there the meaning of what happiness is,
Then the new life will begin" ...That's not...uh...Jemima sings that bit, but...for the actual song...
*goes to sit with Susan.*
My mom applauded me as I turned my iPod off and set it on the table. I smiled. I was SO ready to kick that audition's ass.
"Thanks mom. Uh, I'm going to turn in for the night, 'kay?"
"Sure," I walked upstairs and changed into my Annie t-shirt and sweatpants. I looked into the mirror to tie my hair up, and I had a strange feeling that someone was watching me. The Truman Fic. I looked out the windows, in all the hiding places around. No one. I laughed to myself. "Maybe it's the Phantom of the Opera!" LOL coincidence that you're just thinking what's totally happening. I laughed some more, then climbed into my bed, murmuring the lyrics. ...go to SLEEP. As I feel asleep, I heard a musical voice, almost in a whisper.
"The Phantom of the Opera is there, inside your mind..."
"Brush your teeth."
The next day, I was very jubilant. I continued to practice my solo, and by the time I arrived at the theater, I could hit every note perfectly. PERFECTLY, YOU HEAR ME? I waved goodbye to my mom and quickly ran down the stairs to the theater.
Everyone was already there, playing a game. I decided to sit further away, waiting until the game was over being Too Good For Them. Eliza was the first to see me.
"Hey Lexi! Don't worry, we're almost done!" She called out in her cheerful voice. I smiled in response, looking over my lyrics one last time. I already knew them by heart, but I was so nervous I worried about forgetting them.
Like Eliza said, the game was finished in no time. We pulled up our chairs in a circle once more and continued to vent ideas for our production, Eliza supervising us. At the same time, Miss Montmarte was at the front of the room, running auditions with her piano. She called the Phantom of the Opera people first. As hard as I tried, I couldn't get my mind away from the notes of the song as the others and I wrote the script. Though the piano didn't sound as beautiful as the organ, it was entrancing all the same. I heaved a sigh. Next to me, Alex spoke up.
"Uh, Lexi? Do you mind coming back to earth?" I came out of my trance.
"What? Oh, yeah, uh, where were we?" Darien rolled her eyes. Darien! Come sit with me and Susan! We're doing our own show where we get rights to things or actually compose original material with a coherant and engaging storyline and varied cast of characters!
"We're trying to write the dialogue in between the Sound of Music and Hard-Knock Life." ...yeah, trying to connect those two can't be easy.
"Uh, yeah, I knew that. What if we um, have Johnny walk in and say, 'Turn down the music Danielle! Why are all these girls in here?' And he could be referring to the orphans." So it's an orphan sleepover. At...someone's parent's house. God, none of these kids even drives yet.
Eliza nodded. "I think that's good." I nodded and scribbled the line down on the notepad. Only then did I notice that the auditions for Phantom of the Opera had stopped. The piano was silent. I frowned a bit, then continued writing.
For lunch we went to the park near the theater. Cady, Melody, and I were sitting together. I was excitedly telling them of my new found likeness of the Phantom of the Opera.
"Yeah, I bought the soundtrack on iTunes."
"You can afford that?" Melody asked. She was a huge 'Phan,' and obviously had checked the prices before.
"I'm really cheap on iTunes. It took me forever to convince myself to buy it. Plus, since I'm so cheap, I had a lot of gift card money stored up." Cheap. Cheap. Totally cheap. Except when it comes to OMGPHANTOMSPLURGE.
"Awesome. So can you sing it? Like, hit the high notes and stuff?" HAHAHA YARIGHT.
I grinned, shaking my head. "No, I sounded like a toad." We all laughed.
"Well, maybe the Angel of Music will visit you in sleep and help you! I am SO fourteen, you guys!" Cady teased. I laughed, then paused. I remembered the strange feeling I had last night.
"Now that you mention it, I had this feeling last night that, that someone was there. I looked everywhere, but no one. Maybe..." I became silent. Cady laughed.
"Come on Lexi, I was just kidding!" I shook the thought, laughing.
"Yeah, I know, just kidding!" HAHAHA NERVOUS LAUGHTER. We all laughed, sharing thoughts on the Phantom of the Opera. Melody promised to lend me her DVD of Phantom, and I told her I'd burn a CD with my Phantom songs so she could have them. And then Gerard Butler was certain to pop out of her suburban America wall and feel her up in her Annie-jammies.
That night I had a hard time sleeping. It was about 2 AM, so I decided to do some singing just to wake the rest of the household in the way most likely to drive them to homicide. I had nailed my audition perfectly, but I wasn't even close on Popular. I decided to take a crack at Phantom again. I plugged in my headphones, turning to Think of Me. I began singing, and strangely, I hit every note perfectly. WEIRD that I am just so perfect, amirite?
'Think of Me,
Think of me fondly
When we've said goodbye
Remember me
Once in a while
Please promise me you'll try
When you find
That once again you long
To take your heart back and be free
If you ever find a moment
Spare a thought for me
We never said our love was evergreen
Or as unchanging as the sea
But if you can still remember
Stop and think of me
Think of all the things we should've seen
Don't think about the way things might have been
Think of me
Think of me waking silent and resigned
Imagine me trying to hard to put you from my mind
Recall those days, think back on all those times
Think of the things we'll never do
There will never be a day when I won't think of you'
As the Raoul part came, began to sense a presence again. Not just any presence, his presence. RAOUL? The Phantom's presence. I looked into the darkness. Nothing. I picked my part up again. Aw shit.
'Flowers fade,
The fruits of summer fade
They have their seasons so do we
But please promise me that sometimes
You will think...'
I hit every note perfectly. I was astonished. Yesterday, I sounded like a frog. Tonight, I sounded like, well, an Angel. Gerik was totally massaging your throat with his magic fingers while you slept and imbued you with the power of, uh...well...nothing, if you're thinking Rossum-style. As I came to the next song, I heard the musical voice again. YOUR IPOD =/= VOICES IN YOUR HEAD.
'Brava, brava, bravissimo!' I looked around, fearful. It must be the angel of music, I thought. I sang, trying to summon him.
'Angel of Music
Speak, I listen
Stay by my side, guide me
Angel, my soul was weak, forgive me
Enter at last master'
The musical voice replied, full volume.
'Flattering child you shan't know me
Deep in the shadows I hide
Look at your face in the mirror
I am there inside
I leaped out of bed, running to my mirror. I saw nothing but my own reflection. I laughed to myself. "It's just my iPod," PSYCHO. I walked back to my bed, picking up my iPod. The song was paused at Think of Me. "How strange...I hallucinated full orchestral accompaniment, too." I looked around, but there was nothing. I climbed back in bed, attempting to go to sleep once more. The voice began to sing again, lulling me to sleep.
'Turn your face away from the garish light of day
Turn your thoughts away from cold unfeeling light
And listen to the Music of the Night.'
I looked at my iPod. It was turned off. My eyelids fluttered shut, against my will. Before I could have another thought, I was fast asleep.
It's late, and I can't do no more. Maybe tomorrow. Just...gaaah. Susan, Darien, to the Batcave of Logic! We shall stockpile our resources and so avoid being touched by the plague taking over your summer camp.